Teen mom charged with trying to poison baby

MUSKEGON -- An 18-year-old mother has been charged with first putting bleach, then cleanser, into her baby's "sippy" cup drink with intent to harm the infant, authorities said.

The grandmother of the 1-year-old baby girl twice prevented the child from coming to any harm and called police, according to Muskegon Heights police and the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office.

The child's mother, Shatara Shenelle Jones, of 3004 Ninth, was arraigned Friday in 60th District Court on a charge of poisoning, which is a 15-year felony.

Judge Harold F. Closz III set bail at $25,000 cash or surety and scheduled preliminary examination for March 6.

"In her statement to police, she indicated she had thoughts of killing her child because of problems with her boyfriend, the father of the child," said Muskegon County Prosecutor Tony Tague.

Jones is charged with poisoning because she allegedly "did willfully mingle" a poison or harmful substance with a drink with reason to know that it might be ingested.

"It's highly unusual to have a mother attempt to poison her child. This is the first time I've seen a case of this nature in my 25 years of prosecution," Tague said.

Muskegon Heights Detective Steve White said officers responded to a Feb. 18 call from the baby's grandmother. Jones and the baby live with the grandmother. "She called about having some domestic issues with her adult child," he said.

White said the young mother had some "depression issues," but added that the motive for her alleged actions was unclear.

The grandmother told police that her daughter usually stayed in her room all day when she was having "issues," White said.

The grandmother checked once on the daughter and the crying baby, who were in the bedroom, then checked a second time. After the second time, the grandmother noticed a "sippy" cup sitting on the kitchen stove, White said.

"She smelled what she thought was bleach," White said. Tague said the bleach had been mixed with milk. Both said the grandmother poured it out.

White said the baby's mother and the grandmother argued, and the daughter then allegedly poured pop in the cup, took it in the bathroom and added cleanser.

"The grandmother interjected herself to safeguard the child on both occasions," Tague said.

After intervening a second time, the grandmother called her two sons to help her restrain the mother of the child, White said.

White said the Department of Human Services made an assessment at the home and the baby was then left with a sister of the defendant, who lives elsewhere.

The mother of the baby was not lodged that day, but the case was further investigated and a warrant was issued after a review by the prosecutor's office, White said.